Although no one is ready to admit it yet, many times Labor Day weekend is the last full weekend at the cabin. It’s time to start packing up the food, take the cans to the recycling and start getting the cabin ready for off season. Once the obvious things are done like taking in the dock and winterizing the watercrafts it’s time to start worrying about the cabin itself. Everyone here knows how cold it can get during a Midwest winter and a burst pipe can quickly ruin your mood. The following tips are ways that you can ensure your cabin is functioning properly, even if you aren’t physically there.
Security
Whether it’s your permanent home or a temporary one, security is always an issue. No one wants to have strangers roaming through their house, especially if you’re away from it for months at a time. By installing a security system with monitoring, if any of the door or window contacts are tripped the monitoring station will call you first, to make sure you didn’t trip the alarm yourself and then they will immediately dispatch the police to the address to ensure that the property is secure.
Don’t worry if you don’t have a landline at the property. SLH offers cell transmitters so a landline isn’t necessary!
Temperature
If the heat goes out in a house in the Midwest things can get ugly quickly. Showing up to a cabin that is full of ice crystals and seeing your breath when you walk inside can be a downer. Not to mention the damage it can do to the home. One way to ensure that this scenario never becomes a reality is to have a low temperature sensor installed in your home. If the temperature drops below the set minimum then you will be alerted about the problem so you can call someone out to take care of the issue.
Water Damage
Water damage comes in all forms at the cabin. Freezing temperatures can burst pipes, or maybe a spring with too much rain causes the sump pump to fail. By using a water bug you can receive alerts if your sump pump fails or there is water in your home. You no longer have to drive hours to check in and make sure everything is OK during off season, let your system tell you when something is wrong.
Key Control
Instead of keeping your cabin safe using a traditional key (that can easily be copied by your teenage kids) install a smart lock that allows you to lock your doors from your smart phone. This way you are in total control of who is entering your home and when. Plus, not having a key under the mat makes you less susceptible to robberies.
If you’re looking to secure your cabin for the off season or just would like to upgrade your permanent home so you no longer have to worry about it when you are on vacation – call us today and we will help you figure out the perfect solution for your situation!
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